Stratford upon Avon Foodbank is thanking the local community for generously donating food at this summer’s Tesco Food Collection to help support people facing hunger. As the cost of living crisis continues to bite, many people across the Stratford district are being referred to the foodbank in the Trussell Trust’s network because they don’t have enough money to cover essential living costs like food and energy bills.
We had a huge response to our appeal for donated food items during the Tesco Summer Food Collection – which took place between 30 June and 2 July – we collected a total of 2.66 tonnes of food items with a value of £4,665. We were part of a total of 1.3 million meals generously donated by shoppers across the UK in large stores, with an additional 20 per cent cash top up added by Tesco. In addition to our own foodbank volunteeers, we were also supported by Fortem and Shakespeare Lions during the three days.
Stratford upon Avon Foodbank – which is part of the Trussell Trust’s network of food banks – provides three days’ emergency food to people in hardship and provided over 3000 parcels to people in the local area in the past year. As people continue to struggle to make ends the foodbank is particularly grateful for the generosity shown during the recent collection.
While the Trussell Trust welcomed the UK government’s recent announcement of a package of support to help people through the current crisis, foodbanks in its network, like Stratford upon Avon Foodbank, are continuing to monitor the impact of these measures and are preparing for increased need with the approach of the summer holidays and the winter period.
For anyone who missed the collection or wants to continue giving to the food bank, please visit https://stratforduponavon.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/donate-food/ which lists all local food collection points and contains up-to-date information about the most needed items. Permanent food collection points are also available in all Tesco Large and Express stores all year round.
Kate Morris, Strategic Projects Manager at Stratford upon Avon Foodbank, said: “As the nation faces a rapid rise in the cost of living, we are seeing families who are having to make impossible decisions between putting food on the table or being able to take a hot shower – and too many people are being left with no option but to use a foodbank because their money simply won’t stretch.
“The incredible generosity of Tesco customers during the Summer Food Collection will play a vital role in helping us provide emergency food and support to people facing hardship during this challenging period. We are grateful to everyone who was able to donate and thank you for your continued support while we work in the long term to build a future without the need for foodbanks.”
Stratford upon Avon Foodbank is part of the Trussell Trust’s network, which supports over 1,300 foodbank centres across the UK. The foodbank provides a minimum of three days’ emergency food to help people facing financial hardship and signposts people to other local agencies able to help unlock support for families in hardship.